Portable electronic devices such as the so-called tablet PCs are becoming more popular amongst consumers. Certain tablet PCs such as the APPLE IPAD, for example, use a touch screen display, substantially reducing the need for an external keyboard or mouse.
Provided in FIG. 1 is a diagram of an exemplary portable electronic device in the form of a tablet PC. The portable electronic device 10 includes a rectangular frame, a touch screen 12, a plurality of electronic ports 13 and one or more buttons. The small footprint and relatively light weight of portable electronic devices 10 such as this make them more amenable for use on the go relative to a laptop computer. In many cases, a user 15 will hold the portable electronic device with one hand while attempting to interact with the device using the other hand.
However, utilizing a portable electronic device in this manner presents several drawbacks. For example, it is common for a user to inadvertently access the touch screen while attempting to grip the frame. Further, the user cannot efficiently rotate the device from one orientation to another, from a landscape to a portrait orientation, for example, without adjusting their grip on the device. Also, because the device is not secured to the hand of the user, the user may drop the device. Additionally, when placed on a flat surface, such as a table, the device will lay such that the touch screen is oriented parallel to the flat surface rather than at a more appropriate viewing angle for the user.
The patent literature discloses several examples of other portable electronic device holders. These examples include U.S. Patent Application Pub. No. 2004/0226973 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,726,070. However, none of the above devices overcomes each of the drawbacks described above.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is a portable electronic device holder capable of allowing a user to securely hold a portable electronic device attached thereto, to change the orientation of the portable electronic device easily and securely and to position the portable electronic device at a comfortable viewing angle relative to the line of sight of a user when the portable electronic device is not being held.